Combined pack frame and truck



May 15) 1950 G. M. DREW 2,507,855

COMBINED PACK FRAME AND TRUCK Filed July 22, 1946 J' INVENTOR.

67e?? M /'ew TTORNE Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE 1 claim. l

This invention relates to pack handling equipment and has for its primary aim the provision of a frame for packs, portions whereof may be brought into play when the pack is to be transported upon the wheels of the frame.

One of the important aims of this invention is the provision of a combined pack frame and truck, having means for holding a pack in position whether the same is to be carried on the back of a person or combined with a stan?, gun or other tongue forming instrumentality whereby the pack and its frame may be drawn over the road in the same manner as would a small wheeled vehicle.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a pack frame of the aforementioned character, the form whereof is such as to effectively hold the pack in place against accidental engagement with the wheels forming a part of the assembly; to provide means on the frame for operably engaging a staff when the same is to be employed as a tongue or means for manually manipulating the frame and its supported pack; .to provide parts on the frame for securing the pack in place; and to provide specially formed bearings or brackets on the frame for cooperating with a pair of stalls when the said frame is to serve as an ambulance or wheeled litter.

A large number of additional objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specication, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a combined pack frame and truck made pursuant to the present invention and illustrating the manner in which a conventional pack may be carried thereby.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the frame with the wheels removed therefrom.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the frame showing the manner in which the parts thereof are employed when the frame is to constitute a part of an ambulance or wheeled litter; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

The form of the invention chosen for illustration has been developed particularly for use in handling back packs normally employed by military personnel and by Boy Scouts. Such packs are normally carried on the back by passing straps over the shoulders and beneath the arms but in many instances, the packs become injuriously burdensome due to their weight. It

is, therefore, desirable to have available some form of vehicle whereupon the pack may be mounted .and drawn manually over the road when the pack is not worn on the back.

Since the frame of the device about to be described does not include a tongue or other means by which the pack and frame may be drawn over the road by the user, that instrumentality is provided by employing the staff which the Boy Scout normally uses and the rifle with which the military personnel is usually equipped.

The frame per se is light for it is constructed of tubular material and because of its light character does not add appreciably to the load when the pack is carried on the back. In the instance illustrated, the frame is broadly designated by the numeral I0 and comprises a substantially U-shaped body, the bight I2 whereof is arcuate in form while the legs I4 of the body are looped as at I6 to present a laterally disposed element adjacent to each of two wheels I8 that are mounted upon an axle 20. This axle bridges the distance between legs I4 of body Il) and has bearings 22 thereon to serve as connectors between the free ends of legs I4 of body III and the said axle 20. These bearings play an important part in converting the frame to uses other than pack carrying and are formed to present an annular groove 24 to the inside of each of the adjacent legs I4.

Loop I6 is contoured to serve as a guard against any accidental contact between wheels I8` and a pack 26 which is illustrated only by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. When the pack 26 is mounted on the bodyv I0 of the frame, it is to one side of the U-shaped frame and axle and is there held by a two part strap or similar element 28, each end whereof is secured to the uppermost portion of loops I6. The buckle 30 serves to allow strap 28 to be tightened against pack 2B and to removably hold the same in place. When the Ipack 26 is in the position normally assumed, it will extend above the peripheries of wheels I8 and the straps or shoulder elements on pack 26 may be drawn over the upper arms and back of the wearer without the wheels coming into engagement with any part of the person. When normally carried therefore, the wheels project outwardly from the back of the pack and the frame or body IIJ is hung thereon.

In the event the pack is to be pulled along the road and wheels I8 are to be used as supporting elements for the entire assembly including pack 26, a tongue 32 is introduced in a manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In the instance shown,

tongue 32 is in the form of a stai having a hook 34 on one end thereof. This hook is received by a detent 36 on axle 20 when stai'32 is placed within a clip or xture 38 carried by bight I2. A portion of staff 32 bridges the distance between bight I2 and axle 20 when a truck isto be formed and this part of the staff assists in supporting pack 26 along a zone thereof that would normally have a tendency to sag when wheels I8 were rolling upomasurface.; VAriiie orgzotl'ier'similarfinf; strumentmay be usedV inlieu ofstaf 32"when the" nature of the equipment so dictates. When a rifle or like Weapon is used in place of stai 32","v it should be strapped on the topgfoffthe pack andi the butt end of the same extended forwardly.

Under such conditions the rie maybef used'ffbyethe soldier when lying in a prone condition.,

When the Vframe is to be employed as a portion of an ambulance or wheeled litter, a pairaotstaiis" Y3'2 having hooks 3% at oneend thereof are brought int play: andi the:A hooks. aie introduced. intof said-lagxleg@sadgbearingsaeach havingv anfexternal grooves: Zdfiofff bearing22fx This :ar-rangement: ofi;

in each bearing groovef'24iandsa-s illustrated,ini

Eig s 4i and 5;V theistaffs -32i willgnot amove toward each-qother where-:aY blanketisV foldedathereover:

Thexiteraenols ofr-.staisfSL-are left'expo'sed'beffJ yondf ,'.fanygf blanket @thatr may bei? foldedzthereover;

pack ifromfits, position upon ,the frame.-vr y VMany;` modifications a and alterationsmay;

wise VVloeinlaid.e-zwthout :departingfrom the spirit'of therinvention or scopeofthevappended claim.:

Hai/ingev thus; described.- my invention, what"r I.

4 l claim as new and desire'to secureby Letters Patent is: Y

In a combined pack frame and truck, a normally horizontal axle having a wheel rotatably secured to each end respectivelythereof; a'U- shaped frame having the free ends of the legs thereof attached to said axle between said wheels, said legs each being formed adjacent the Vends thereof to present a loop extending rearwardly, upwardly andiE thence forwardly fromisaid axle in' a-verticalfplane^when'the-said fiee ends of said legs, said axle, and the bight of said frame are in a plane'substantially parallel to the supportingasuvrf-ace; saidsloops extending upwardly a substantial distance for restraining lateral movenientofitliefpack placed therebetween and carried..on the. francay said loops serving as guards against any accidental Contact between the wheels andiithe" pack; a bearing on each of said free ends of the legs respectivelyV for pivotally receiving grooveffiormed; thereinr circurnseribing?` the@ axle; and; a1 detachabl-yfengaging each,r bearing.; eaolastaff; having)y ahookf .on oneend thereof; adapted for loopirigf.- over a respectivef bearing-- w' hinysaid;` groove fthereoff, ,saidstaifs extending fr saidfiaxl'egin underlyingsupportingrelation?a sliirjmtasau ulinarneiY v Thefoilowing ieferencessaire ofi remirdiii-i;` tlief' filceot this'fupastentx Y UNITEDSTATESPATENTS Y Y A 

